1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to toy extruding devices, and more particularly to a toy extruder combining a mixing element and an extruding plunger disposed on a rod with at least two distinct sections for simply yet uniquely mixing and extruding a formable material through rotation of the same rod. The invention also relates to a method for mixing and extruding a formable material.
2. Background of the Invention
There are many known toy molders and extruders which employ a plunger or piston element for pressing a formable or viscous material though a chamber and out a narrowed outlet. Many of the known toy extruders employ a main screw and/or gear assembly to move the plunger through the chamber, and one known extruder employs a lever operated plunger with an integral push plate for translating the pivoting movement of the lever into a linear movement of the plunger through the chamber.
There are several known toy extruding devices employing a main rotatable screw extending into a hollow chamber and securely attaching to a housing at a threaded opening. The screw is capable of being rotated through the hollow chamber to extrude a formable material, as exemplified and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,476,097 B1, issued Jan. 13, 2009 to Mangelsen and U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,188 issued Nov. 30, 1999 to Mak. A plunger is affixed to one end of the screw and a handle is affixed to the opposite end for cranking the screw and plunger through the chamber upon rotation of the handle. A formable material is contained within the chamber and extruded from an end of the chamber as the main screw is rotated. Further, Mak discloses a clutch mechanism physically engaging and disengaging from the main screw to regulate rotation of the screw for releasing measured amounts of extruded material from the chamber.
Other known toy extruders employ a drive gear mechanism for activating the movement of a threaded ram member through a chamber for extruding a formable material, as exemplified and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,961, issued Mar. 28, 1989 to Kindred and U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,932, issued Feb. 19, 1991 to D'Andrade. Kindred discloses a crank engaging a pinion gear which in turn engages peripheral gears of a turntable mechanism secured to the threaded ram member. The crank is rotated driving rotation of the turntable to provide screw actuated movement of the ram member for forcing formable material from the chamber. Similarly, D'Andrade discloses a crank wheel engaging a pinion gear which in turn engages a rack secured to the threaded ram member. The crank wheel is rotated to advance the ram member through the chamber and extrude contained formable material.
Another known toy extruder disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,602,066 B1, issued Aug. 5, 2003 to Heayes, includes a chamber with first and second openings and a extruder received at the second opening with a die coupled to the first opening. The extruder advances longitudinally through the chamber relative to the die. Rotation of the extruder causes the chamber and contained formable compound received therein, to rotate relative to the die. Advancement of the extruder forces the rotating formable compound through the die.
Another known toy extruder disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,476, issued Feb. 28, 1978 to Ventura, includes a lever operated plunger with an integral push plate for translating the pivoting movement of the lever into a linear movement of the plunger through the chamber. A manually operable lever is pivotally mounted on a housing and includes a sector shaped portion and pairs of integral pins for engaging embossed portions of the plunger to depress the plunger and integral push plate through the chamber extruding formable material contained therein.
Another known toy extruder disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,817,498, issued Jun. 18, 1974 to Frankfurth et al. discloses an extruder having a housing with at least one revolving conveyor element arranged in the housing. The conveyor element has a periphery with a number of projections along its length extending almost up to the inner wall of the housing. A scraper element is arranged at the outlet opening for engaging into the intermediate spaces between the projections.
Significantly, known toy extruders do not include a combined mixing element and extruding plunger disposed on a rod with at least two distinct sections for simply yet uniquely mixing and extruding a formable material through rotation of the same rod. It would be desirable to provide a rod with at least first and second sections disposed at a threaded aperture of a container and including a plunger disposed at an end of the rod and contained at least partially within the container. The plunger further includes an aperture at a surface and a mixing stick received through the plunger at the aperture such that when the first rod section is rotated within the threaded aperture the mixing stick is rotated for mixing a contained formable material, and when further advancement of the rod rotates the second rod section within the threaded aperture the plunger is advanced to extrude the formable material and the mixing stick is slid to a non-engaging position.